In 2020, a student team from the University of Oklahoma participated in the EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge. This competition is a green infrastructure design competition for American colleges and universities. It aims to engage with the next generation of environmental professionals, foster a dialogue about the need for innovative stormwater management techniques, and showcase the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure practices.
The OU team, led by faculty advisor Bret Betnar (former Adjunct Assistant Professor in Landscape Architecture), developed a series of design interventions with the goal of solving the flooding problem on OU’s campus. Their interventions would improve stormwater management on campus which would conserve water as well as improve campus walkability and accessibility.
The student team included Aman Golshan (MLA alumnus 2021), Yi-Wen Yeh (MLA alumnus 2021), Bradley Andersen (current MLA student), and Samin Shokoohi (MLA alumnus 2021). They competed against fifty-seven other student teams and were awarded an Honorable Mention in Community Engagement in the Master Plan Category.
The team was also advised by Leehu Loon (Director of Landscape Architecture), Dr. Sarah Little (Professor of Landscape Architecture), Carrie Evenson (City of Norman), and Dr. Robert Nairn (Division of Engineering WaTER Center). They were also assisted by Brandon Cox, Kyle McGhee, and Jason Reeves from OU Facilities and Landscape Services.
Bradley Andersen wrote, “This competition is an excellent chance to test your abilities while working with a team to solve complex community issues. It also allows the student to interact with municipal agencies and various specialties that you don’t typically work with.”
Another team member, Yi-Wen Yeh, wrote, “I hope that more of these competitions can be held so that students can have constant opportunities to challenge themselves, not only to increase their knowledge in various aspects, but also to learn the opportunity to cooperate with each other, because when we enter the workplace, we need to cooperate with others often.”
Explore the team’s proposal below!
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture announces John Harris as Associate Dean for Research ad interim, effective Aug. 25, 2026, until the permanent position is filled.
Gibbs College is pleased to announce the 2026 Gibbs College Faculty & Staff Awards recipients. These individuals were recognized by Dean Butzer during the Gibbs College Back to School Meeting and will be honored during the Celebration Banquet in October. They were nominated by their colleagues via an open nomination process.
Telesis, the Gibbs College of Architecture’s student journal, has been awarded a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts to support its next two issues, “Pause” (Volume IX) and “React” (Volume X).
